CULINARY SOS

'Hottest thing on the menu'

Dear SOS: I would love the recipe for "drunken shrimp" from the Gumbo Pot at the Farmers Market on 3rd Street. They always warn you that "it's the hottest thing on the menu" and I agree!

Patti Astor

Hollywood

Dear Patti: Gumbo Pot owner Charles Myers and chef Clinton Thompson sent us the recipe. The spicy and flavorful beer broth makes a delicious sauce for shrimp. Serve this over rice or on its own with a crusty loaf of bread.

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Drunken shrimp

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

3 (12-ounce) cans pale beer

2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic

1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into tablespoon-sized chips

2 1/2ounces Cajun spice mix

2 pounds medium-sized shrimp with shells

2 tablespoons dried rosemary

Salt, optional

1. Pour the beer into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, allowing the foam to dissipate. When hot and settled, 10 to 12 minutes, add the garlic, then whisk in the butter chips -- 1 at a time -- and the spice mix until blended. Add the shrimp, reduce the heat and poach in the sauce, about 4 minutes. Do not boil; keep at a bare simmer. The shrimp stay plump if cooked at a medium-low temperature. Add the rosemary to taste. If the spice mix you use is low in salt, you may need to add a little.